No standard radio? No air conditioning? The 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder is all about the drive

by
Derek McNaughton | March 31, 2015

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NEW YORK — Take one look at the spec sheet of the Porsche Boxster Spyder — making its global debut in New York City Tuesday night — and the intent and purpose of this car is revealed by what’s not included: A radio.

Air conditioning, too, is absent in the standard list of features. So too is an automatic — a manual being the only transmission available.

2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder

What is it? Dubbed by Porsche as “the purist’s sports car,” the new Boxster Spyder being revealed at the 2015 New York Auto Show does indeed take aim at those who want a car that’s more about performance than style.

How else to explain the finicky fabric top that, like cars from 50 years ago, must still be folded away or attached by hand? Or that it has borrowed from the 911 a 3.8-litre flat six producing 375 horsepower, and nested this engine in a car that weighs no more than 1,315 kilograms? Or that it can launch from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds — the same as a 911 Carrera S? These are not stats for bragging about at the brasserie; these are what happens when fast and light shake hands.

Why it matters: Also lifted from the 911 are bigger brakes. Further earning the Spyder its own place in the growing stable of Porsche models is a firmer suspension, lowered by 20 mm over the standard Boxster, and front and rear design elements lifted from the new, high performance Cayman GT4. There is also, of course, those two shapely rear humps over the rear deck that mirror those of the Carrera GT and, to a lesser extent, the 918; but they also, says Porsche, pay homage to the achingly gorgeous Porsche 718 W-RS Spyder from 1961, not to mention make the new Spyder look especially attractive.

2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder

When is it coming? The previous Boxster Spyder that appeared in 2009 was also very much a driver’s car, separating itself from run-of-the-mill Boxsters not just by the unique shape, but with 10 extra horsepower and far more deft handling over a Boxster S. The old car was a delight to flog around the track. The 2016 Spyder, arriving late this summer, amps up the horsepower by 55 yet gains only a few pounds of weight, a recipe that promises to deliver that much more driving pleasure.

Should you buy it? A high-end stereo or air conditioning can be ordered on the new Spyder as no cost options; but a true topless sports car, with a sound track peaking at 7,800 rpm and ventilation provided by mother nature, is about driving in pure, raw form. It’s about marrying the mechanical with the natural world. The Spyder, with a starting price of $93,700 in Canada, will no doubt come standard with that.